Serving-rack.



E. HALLER.

SERVING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1909.

5 7, Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

/ 3 7 All;

MA W21 ,a rack for holding difierent kinds of objects UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD HAL ER, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONETHALF'TO MAURICE wnmsrnm, or CLEVELAND, omo.

SERVING-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application filed .Tu1y 21, 1909. Serial No. 508,770.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, EDWARD I'IALLER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county. of Cuyahoga and I exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

] 'This'invention relates to serving racks for the special use ofwaiters in hotels, restaurants and similar places, the object of the invention being to provide a rack of that character which shall be light in weight, strong and durable in construction, cheap in manufacture, ornamental in appearance and having capacity for holding a large number of separate dishes or other articles While the invention is especially adapted for the use just stated, it is capable of use as or articles, andIdesire it to be understood that the invention is not therefore, confined in its use.

In the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my rack showing the same in use by a waiter; Fig. 2

is a plan view of the rack; Fig. 3is a perspective view showing portions of a rack of .modrfied constructlon, and Fig. 4: 1s a perspective View of one of the shelves for use in the rack shown in Fig. 3.

. The rack is preferably formed entirely of metal, or of suitable metallic composition, the base portion of the rack being provided with a member 1 having downturned legs 2 at each of its ends. Intersecting the member 1 toward each of its ends and attached thereto in any suitable manner are cross members 3 having downturned legs 4. Also projecting from the center of the member 1 and-preferably at right angles thereto and mid way between the members 3 is a member a 5 having the downturned leg portion 6. The

members 3 and 5 lie in the same plane, and the legs2, 4 and G extend in the same direction and to the same distance so that said legs are adapted to rest simultaneously upon I a flat table or other object.

Rising from the center of the member 1 is the standard 7, the upper end of which is provided with a hand piece 8 by means of which the rack may be carried about, as

,shown in Fig. l. Preferably the said hand piece is turned at an angle to the standard in order thatthe hand of the person carrying the same maybe more easily inserted into the handle. I

Extending outwardly from the standard 7 on each side of, the latter above the member l of the base piece are trays or shelves, one series of said shelves being designated 9 and the other designated 10. As shown in the drawings, there are six of these shelves in each series, although obviously a greater or less number of shelves may be employed if desired. These shelves, which may be secured to the standard in any suitable manner, are preferably formed of stiff wire, as shown, the mainand outer portion of each shelf being circular in shape but not extending throughout the entire circle, so as to leave a portion of each shelf open. The remaining part of each shelf consists of a straight piece of wire extending from the circular part directly to the standard. 'Tlie shelves on each side of the standard are preferably arranged in pairs in substantially the same plane as shown, and in this way the rack is perfectly balanced. Alsoprojecting from the standard attached thereto in the same manner as the racks 9 and 10, are smaller racks 11, said latter racks forming a vertical series over the base member 5. The larger racks 9 and 10 are intendedfor 85 holding the larger plates or dishes, and the smaller racks 11 are intended for the smaller or side dishes. Although there may any number of the said smaller racks, the drawings show five racks in this series.

In order to prevent the legs 2, dand'G from scratching the table or other object upon which they may be placed, I prefer to provide said legs with knobs 12 which may preferably be formed of rubber. In order to more firmly support the shelves 9 and 10, I attach to the members 1 -and 3 vertically extending braces13, said braces being bent outwardly from each of the shelves so as not to interfere with the plates or dishes placed therein, the outward y bent portions of these braces also serving to assist in holding the plates on the shelves. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, two of these braces are used for each ser es 9 and of shelves, as the presence of a greater number would interfere with I the insertion of the plates or dishes into the rack. Asimilar brace may be employed on the series of smaller shelves 11, but as these shelves are intended for holding, small dishes, it is not thought necessary to give the same any support additional to what they secure from their attachment to the main standard 7.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a standard 7 of a somewhat modified construction, the same being intended to hold shelves which may be entirely disconnected from the re mainder of the rack. By thus making the shelves separable from the rack, they may be removed for the purpose of washing or cleaning. One of the larger racks designated at 10 is shown in Fig. 4, from which it will be seen that the attaching portion 1 L is provided with a cylindrical end 15 having grooves or slots 16 cut in its opposite sides, said grooves being separated by a comparatively thin wall. The shelf is attached to the standard- 7 by providing the latter with a longitudinal plate extension 17 in which are formed L-shaped slots 18, there being a series of said slots so as to accommodate a series of the said shelves. The cylindrical portion 15 of each shelf is engaged with the said plate extension by inserting the same into the L-shaped slot, the said plate extending into the slots 16. The smaller shelves 11 are attached to the standard 7* in the same manner as the larger shelves are attached to the plate extension. In this form of rack I'have also shown a T-shaped head 19 on the upper end of the standard, which head is adapted to rest upon the shoulder of the waiter. In this form of rack I do not contemplate usingthe braces 13, as they would interfere with the removal of the shelves from the standard. The circular portions of the larger trays are, however, each provided with loop extensions 20 and with an end extension 21, said extensions being adapted to rest beneath the plate or dish when it is in position upon the shelf.

While I have thus shown and described my improved rack as adapted for being carried by a waiter, it is evident that the same may be placed upon a truck or any other suitable device and moved about in this manner. It is also obvious that the same may be suspended from a trolley running upon a wire so that the entire rack may be propelled along this trolley, the wires run ning to the places where it is desired to carry the trays.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a serving rack, the combination with a base frame having legs upon which the rack may rest, of a standard rising centrally from the said base, a double series of relatively large shelves-attached to the standard, there being one series on each side of the standard, and a series of relatively small shelves projecting from the standard in difturned downwardly at each of its ends to form legs, of a pair of cross base members attached to the first member, the said cross base members also having downturned end portions whereby the base is adapted to rest upon a table or other support, a standard rising centrally from the first mentioned member, means connected with said standard whereby the same may be carried, and a double series of relatively-large shelves attached to the standard, there being a series on each side of the standard above the first mentioned member of the base, and braces connecting the said first mentioned member with each shelf in each series.

3. In a serving rack, the combination with a base for the rack consisting of a longitudinal member having downturned leg portions at each end, of cross members connected at their centers with the said longitudinal memher, there being one of said cross members near each end of the first member, and each of said cross members having its ends turned downwardly so as to form legs for the rack, a standard rising centrally from the said longitudinal member of the base, a handle secured to the upper end of the said standard whereby the rack may be carried, a double series of shelves projecting from said standard, there being one series of said shelves 011 each side of the standard abovethe said longitudinal member in the base, each of said shelves being formed of a wire looped into substantially circular form, and

braces connecting each shelf in each series together and to the longitudinal and cross members of the base.

4. In a serving rack, the combination with a base for the rack comprising a longitudinal member and a pair of cross members attached to the said longitudinal member, of a standard rising centrally from the longitudinal member and mid way between the cross members, a handle attached to the upper end of said standard, said handle being bent to one side for the purpose specified, a double series of shelves projecting from the standard over the longitudinal member of the base, there being a series of shelves on each side of said standard, brace wires connecting each of the shelves in the series together, said brace wires being attached at their lower ends to the longitudinal and cross members of the base, and a third series of shelves attached to the standard and projecting at right angles with respect to the first mentioned shelves.

5. In a serving rack, the combination with an upright member provided with a series of L-shaped slots, of a series of shelves, each of said shelves being provided with a slotted head adapted to be inserted into the L- shaped slots of the standard whereby the shelves are held in position.

6. In a serving rack, the combination with an upright standard, consisting of a plate having L-shaped slots therein and of a plate extension attached to the said plate and projecting at right angles therefrom, said plate extension being also provided with L-shaped slots, and shelves for the rack having slotted heads which are adapted to be inserted into i the said L-shaped slots whereby the stand- EDWARD HALLER.

Witnesses: S. E. Fours, A. J. HUDSON. 

